Role Of Indigenous Communication In Community Development

Most development programmes end up as mere growth and not sustainable development. As a result, it becomes essential to examine indigenous communication systems that are supposed to aid development efforts. This is because development is multifaceted, multi-sectorial and widely a participatory process in which the intended beneficiaries are actively involved in every phase. It is also pertinent to assess the effect of exogenous media on the indigenous media with regards to rural development efforts. To achieve these, an in-depth study was conducted to examine the role of indigenous communication in community development in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti state. The study also adopted modernization and social change theories as well as impact assessment model. Sampling was by multi-stage and purposive sampling methods. Research methods used were both qualitative and quantitative. It was found that a lot of factors have prevented full achievement of development in rural areas of Nigeria. It has also been discovered that the best form of development is participatory development in which the actual beneficiaries actively participate from the inception of the programme up to the evaluation stage. As a result, indigenous communication is relevant to socio-economic development of the rural communities. So, participatory development is the ideal and it must involve a good knowledge of the people"s culture, which has indigenous communication at its centre. The study therefore, recommends the full utilization of indigenous media in sensitizing and mobilizing the rural people for participation in development programmes.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background Of Study

Indigenous media have various descriptions. The terms "folk media," oramedia," "traditional media," "local media and informal media" have often been used interchangeable in referring to indigenous media. Ansu - yeremeh (1998:68) defines indigenous media as; Any form of endogenous communication system which by virtue of its origin from, and integration into a specific culture, serves as a channel for messages in a way and manner that requires the utilization of values, symbols, institutions, and ethos of host culture through its unique qualities and attributes.
N"gombe (2000), on his part, defines indigenous media as "the vehicle the common people or rural farmers employ for the delivery of their messages." Indigenous communication, according to Wang (1982:3) cited by Mundy and Compton is: "the communication system which existed before the arrival of (contemporary) mass media and formerly organized bureaucratic systems, and is still existing today despite changes." In line with these definitions arises such concepts of folk media as puppet shows, folk drama, story-telling, proverb, visual arts, concerts, gong beating, dirges, songs, drumming and dancing. Specifically, what is being expressed through these terminologies is the activity among the common people. These definitions also lead to the reality, which places the common people in a different context. If they have been able to create folk art, folk music or folk dances, it makes it imperative for one to conclude that folk media incorporated forms of sharing information already in existence at the village level. Folk dance, folkmusic, folklore etc., should therefore of necessity to of immense value as communication tools to anyone involved in the dissemination of information to the rural community.

Ansu-Kyeremeh (1998), like others has argued that folk media, as traditional forms of communication, have evolved as grassroots expressions of the values and lifestyle of the people and, because they use local languages with which the people are familiar, have become embedded in their cultural, social and psychological thinking. Indigenous media are used to communicate entertainment, news, announcements, persuasion, and social exchanges of all types. They are a means by which a culture is preserved and adapted.

Every human society has developed its indigenous and traditional modes and channels of communication which characterize its existence, organization and development. These communication mode and channels form the basis upon which the communities, especially the rural communities progress. Orewere (1991:3) therefore advises that:
Policy makers, planners and administrators, desirous to effect functional economic and social changes, must first identify such community communication modes and channels and utilize them to provide people with maximum information about such changes.

He went further to define a community as a group of people who have lived together long enough to evolve common culture, norms and values. It is this culture that distinguishes one community from another and, gives form and meaning to a people"s existence. Therefore, on him, communication, the transmission of information from a point called origin or source to another called destination, audience or receiver, is the bloodstream of every community.
Researcher has shown the importance of informal interpersonal contacts (made through folk media) in persuading people to utilize or reject innovations. The power of folk median in changing behaviours in rural communities results largely from the media"s originality and the audience"s belief and trust in the sources of the messages, which often come from people real to their audiences (Solomon et al, 2001). Despite their power to capture people"s imagination and subsequently change behaviours, the use of folk media in many campaigns has not been fully described in Western literature. Indigenous media and their messages are often described as folktales, myths and other fantasies that are individual interpretations of social events and occurrences and therefore, have no or limited educational value. On the contrary, folkmedia are collective and imaginative constructions of the mind that figuratively explain aspects of rural folkways and at the same time delight their recipients. Because folkmedia address local interests and concerns in the language and idioms that the audience is familiar with and understands, they are appropriate communication channels for populations in rural areas.

The fact that indigenous communication is appropriate for rural population is demonstrated more in their functions which, according to Ojebode (2002), are not universal. First of these is that indigenous communication media practitioners - poets, musicians, theatrical performers, orators, carvers - constitute a formidable agency of opinion moulding. They not only feel the pulse of the society, they as well shape it. They educate people on correct social behaviour. Higher (1990:46-158) gives examples of KwaghHir puppet plays aimed at moulding the opinion of people in areas of social conduct. Such plays condemned prostitution, encouraged good home-making and women virtues, condemn laziness and educated people on the values of good health care.

Closely linked to the above is the role of being the voice of the people. Olabimtan (1981:157) quoted by Ojebode (2002:93) observed that "in traditional Yoruba society, the poet seemed to have no personal voice. He usually expressed the voice of his society which was largely ruled by custom in which the elements of individual judgment and initiative was small."

In addition, indigenous media also serve as custodians of the people"s history, culture and values this Kidd (1992) calls the function of recovery, revival and reassertation. Hove (1997) calls the traditional poet "the memory bank of the community." Furthermore, indigenous media educate by teaching people informally and through entertainment, the norms, mores and standards of the society. It may also be through direct instructions from experts (Ojebode, 2002). Finally, a very important role of traditional media, as stated by Ojebode. "is their use in development efforts."
Talking about relating indigenous communication to the field or rural development and utilization of innovation, Soola (1984) observed that, traditional media forms have been successfully utilized for non-formal, broad-based, out-of- classroom education. It has been used to teach such themes as environmental sanitation, family planning, rural co- operatives, nutrition and scientific methods of farming. It has also been employed to wage war on social maladies as corruption, indolence, ignorance, disease, greed and avarice as well as various form of indiscipline (Soola, 1984; WAI, 1984). In a related development, Mundy and Compton (1995) are of the view that, indigenous communication media are being used for development practices and utilization because:

They have value in their own right.

The contemporary media have limited range.

Indigenous channels have high credibility.

They are important conduit of change.

They offer opportunities for participation by the local people.

They are democratic.

They are not necessarily top-down as most mass media are.

If ignored, they can lead to inappropriate development.

And according to Akinleye (2003:69), "the source of indigenous media is not individualistic, though it may be personal, the practitioners, since they are neither urban-based, nor power elitist, are easily identified by the people."
Foremost among countries which have studied, researched into and experimented with the use of traditional media in planning for development are India, Ghana, Mexico, the Philippines and recently Nigeria (Solomon et al, 2001; N"gombe, 2000: Soola, 1984). Soola (1984) reported that, India"s composite folk theatre - music dance, mime and drama - seek to satisfy all the intellectual, emotional and easthetic needs of its spectators. It creates a state of receptivity and temporary suspension of individual entity upon which the playwright or actor seizes on to induct the message he seeks to communicate (Malik, 1983). Elsewhere, folk media has successfully been used in behaviour change. The function of folk media is consistent with many social learning (cognition) theory, which indicates that most behaviour are learned through modeling. Social theorists (e.g Bandura) explain that vicarious learning from others is a powerful teacher of attitudes and behaviour. Bandura (1986) for example, believes that individuals learn not only in classrooms but also by observing role models in everyday life, including characters in movies and television programmes. Accordingly, folk media performers are role models from whom people learn. In Nigeria, the various types of folk media are used as premiers that provide the basis for residents of rural communities to discuss and diagnose their socio-economic, cultural and political situations that enable them take steps to find solutions to those problems.

In the mid 1970s, Miguel Sabido (1999) of Mexico began to show that soap opera with social messages could promote behaviour change. Those soap operas have their origin in a folk medium - drama. In Philippines, Nigeria and Ghana, Sabido method has been used to encourage responsible sexual behaviour among the people in the fight against HIV and AIDS. For example, in Ghana, theatre for Communication Implementation and Development (Theatre CID), a local theatrical group affiliated with a non-governmental organisation called Centre for the Development of People in Kumasi - Ghana, uses simulated live shows to educate curious crowds about pertinent health issues such as family planning, breast- feeding, and HIV/AIDS. Scenes are created publicly without onlookers knowing they are being acted out and, they frequently provoke discussions on issues as well as audience responses to the negative behaviours portrayed (Solomon et al, 2001). In rural Ghana, according to the authors, local concert groups also perform dramas designed to focus attention on various social issues. These events are said to frequently encourage community discussions, and appropriate actions are collectively determined to address those issues.

African musical heritage is rich with songs that serve to inform, entertain and educate the audience about a wide range of social issues. Funeral dirges which were traditionally recited and sung at funeral occasions to revere the dead, are now being created with messages about various issues concerning the living. In Nigeria, such compositions are even played on national and state radio and television networks. In addition, anecdotal evidence from reproductive health projects being implemented by such organizations as CARE International, World Health Organisation (WHO), Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) etc. in many parts of Nigeria suggests that using puppetry and storytelling to stress the need for social harmony has helped improved spousal communication in the rural communities.

What the above implies is that, if folk media is ignored, it may lead to inappropriate development. This was the case in Australia, reported by Sharp (1967) cited by Epskamp and Boeren (1992). In Australia, natives were given steel axes by well intended missionaries. This made the Australia culture based on the stone axes to collapse. The stone axes had not only been scares but had always been a basic symbol of male importance. The missionaries produced quantities of steel axes and gave these to women and children. The men had even to borrow these from women, causing a collapse of male dignity. The result was crises (Ojebode, 2002).

On the other hand, many development efforts have used indigenous communication with successful outcomes. Mavrocodatos and Cornwall (1997) reported the success of the Theatre for Development (TFD) unit of an NGO, SOS Mahel in Mali. This unit worked with the villagers who also performed. These researchers assert that the effort had been positively influenced by this programme for it received steady feedback through the TFD outreach.

In Tamil Nadu, India, practical drama is being used in Participatory Rural Appraisal. The aim of this project was to assist girls in the community overcome political and cultural subordination (Smith et al 1997). In Sierra-Leone, Community Theatre for Integrated Rural Development (CTHIRD) is being effectively used "as a means of transforming the conventional development process, of putting the communities in the "driver seat" "(Malamah - Thomas, 1987:14).

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Development information is purposive communication intended for the rural people that allows for the translation of information into action, resulting in a higher quality of life for the people. It is a communication process that allows the media to bring social and economic improvements to the rural areas and people. It is indeed, a practical method on how to utilize the media - be they indigenous or mass media - to facilitate changes in the rural communities. Expectedly, development information is intended to bring improvements in the general living condition of the people but rather overtime, it has not yielded the desired outcome.

To gain a perfect insight into the reason why development programmes, especially in rural communities end up as mere growth and not development, it is essential to examine some indigenous communication systems that are supposed to aid the programmes. This is because development is multifaceted, multisectorial and widely a participatory process in which the intended beneficiaries are actively involved in every phase from need identification to need prioritization, project planning, execution, monitoring, evaluation and the distribution of the benefits (Adelugba, 1996; Foster, 1969; Isah, 2011). There is also the need to examine the persisting traditional communication system and their attendant customs and beliefs as well as general socio-political perceptions toward implantation of development programmes. It is also pertinent to examine the effect of the exogenous media on the indigenous media with regards to rural development efforts. To achieve these, an in-depth anthropological fieldwork was conducted to examine the indigenous communication system that exists in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study also assessed rural development efforts with regard to their utilization of indigenous media.

1.3 Research Objectives

The main aim of this study is to assess the role of indigenous communication in community development using a case study of Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti state. The specific objectives are;

To examine how indigenous communication can be used to mobilize rural people for participation towards development

To assess the knowledge of rural communities of Nigeria on the application of indigenous communication for achieving effective rural development.

To examine ways of combining indigenous and modern communication to achieve effective rural development.

To assess the ways in which indigenous communication can enhance rural development

1.4 Research Questions

How indigenous communication can be used to mobilize rural people for participation towards development

To assess the knowledge of rural communities of Nigeria on the application of indigenous communication for achieving effective rural development.

To examine ways of combining indigenous and modern communication to achieve effective rural development.

To assess the ways in which indigenous communication can enhance rural development

1.5 Research Hypothesis

HO: There is no significant relationship between indigenous communication and community development in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State

HA: There is a significant relationship between indigenous communication and community development in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State

1.6 Significance

The primary beneficiaries of a research like this are the local people. Consequently, in addition to the above the researchers are optimistic that the finding of this research would specifically;

Influence the political process because, it is designed to be received, read, understood and acted upon by those in policy making cycles.

Contribute to the development process because the work is also intended to influence change agents and their agencies in carrying out their work.

Provide the general public with the opportunity of knowing the role information plays in development experiment.

Finally, this research effort would have failed if it does not add feedback into development information planning and practice.

5.0 Conclusion And Recommendation

5.1 Conclusion

Many development efforts have used indigenous communication with successful outcomes. The findings above confirm the reality and value of indigenous communication to the local people. The role of folk media in utilization has further demonstrated how innovations can be sustained within communities or groups of people after it has been utilized. Therefore, if indigenous media are ignored, it may lead to inappropriate development of the people and their communities as demonstrated by examples in many countries and studies.

Development though necessary should respect the rights of a people to still cling to even a string of that which forges a necessary link with the past. This is not to assert that a people should not benefit from such necessary educational, health and agricultural initiatives that make them part of their great nation. The issue is that when development efforts are not flexible enough to recognize diversities in human beings and their needs, then communication strategies explored to transmit such development initiatives, whether rudimentary or advanced would definitely miss the target and be unsuccessful.

5.2 Recommendations

From the foregoing therefore, to achieve sustainable development as directed by social change theory, there must be a social transformation. This should be based on the participation of the beneficiaries of development programmes in decision making about social or economic changes and the use of indigenous channels of communication and influence that exist in a community where change is desired. This is important bearing in mind that material culture changes faster than non- material culture.

To ensure effective participation of the people, it is important to mobilize, sensitize and seek the people"s suggestions, input, involvement and so on, which can lead to a truly successful development programme. As earlier stated, this can best be done through indigenous channels. This is actually the position of Sifelani (2007) when he bemoaned the issue that environmental experts and journalists lack languages to explain indigenous environmental issues and that is why mass media sometimes drop environmental stories.

The relevance of indigenous media cannot be overemphasized. However, the best approach should be the integration of indigenous and exogenous media to form what can be called "indiexogenous media". It will ensure that each strengthens the weaknesses of the other and also reinforces its strength. In other words, exogenous media can be used to promote indigenous knowledge while indigenous channels can be used to inculcate exogenous knowledge especially among rural communities.

Through this process, sustainable development can be achieved among the rural populace and the people stand a better chance of participating, cherishing, benefiting and protecting such development effort. It will also ensure that rural development programmes are properly targeted. This will definitely minimize if not eliminate failed or abandoned projects in rural communities.

Preliminary Page(s)

Title Page

Declaration

Approval

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Abstract

Table of Content

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background Of Study

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

1.3 Research Objectives

1.4 Research Questions

1.5 Research Hypothesis

1.6 Significance

Chapter Two

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Concept Of Indigenous Communication

2.2 The Nature And Content Of Indigenous Communication System

2.3 Indigenous Communication And Development Communication

2.4 Indigenous Communication And Indigenous Knowledge

2.5 Indigenous Communication And Participation

2.6 Theoretical Framework

Chapter Three

3.0 Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population Of The Study

3.3 Sampling Technique

3.4 Research Instrument

3.5 Data Analysis

Chapter Four

4.0 Results And Discussion

4.1 Results

4.2 Discussion

Chapter Five

5.0 Conclusion And Recommendation

5.1 Conclusion

5.2 Recommendations

References

Appendix

• Mass Communication Project Topics and Materials